Ivory Coast might have played better than Portugal in last Tuesday's goalless draw but they will face a much stiffer challenge against five-time world champions Brazil on Sunday. A draw against Brazil in the Group E clash will probably satisfy the Elephants, who face a relatively weak opponent in North Korea in their last game. In Group F, defending champions Italy take on New Zealand while Paraguay play Slovakia. Ivory Coast V Brazil Team news: Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva is uncertain to start the game after picking up a knock in training. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is likely to be included in the starting line up after making a substitute appearance in the goalless draw with Portugal. He will play with the same protective cast he wore against Portugal after breaking his forearm before the tournament. What they said: "I have a lot of respect for Brazil. They are one of the best teams in the world without question, but I'm not scared of them. I have some top-class players who bear comparison with any team in the world," Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson "With Eriksson, Ivory Coast has great balance. We used to see them play and they didn't have this type of organization that they have now," Brazil coach Dunga.
Drogba shoulders Ivorian hopes Player to watch: Brazil: Robinho was the liveliest Samba boy in the 2-1 victory over North Korea. Ivory Coast: Didier Drogba is looking to build on an impressive season with English domestic double winners Chelsea. Italy V New Zealand Team news: Italy will miss goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who is suffering from a back injury and may be ruled out of the rest of the World Cup, and midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who is yet to recover from a calf complaint. New Zealand could welcome back midfielder Tim Brown, who shrugged off a shoulder injury. What they said: "All of these (absent) players are very valuable, but if a team starts crying over the ones that are not there, they will not go very far. That is the worst thing they can do," Italy coach Marcello Lippi. "[Beating Italy] would just totally change the landscape of the nation. And that's what we're trying to do, we're trying to be the front-runners to show that football is the biggest sport on the planet," New Zealand forward Rory Fallon. Player to watch:
Italy look for first win Italy: Daniele De Rossi plays an instrumental role in the heart of the Azzurri's defense. New Zealand: Defender Winston Reid put in a fine display in the 1-1 draw with Slovakia and scored the equalizer in injury time. Paraguay V Slovakia Team news: Slovakia's attacking midfielder Miroslav Stoch is likely to start after recovering from a knee injury. Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz, who has seemingly regained full fitness, could replace Aureliano Torres in the starting line-up. They will miss injured midfielder Jonathan Santana. What they said: "The fact that we came so close to winning (against New Zealand) is very encouraging. But we will have to do our level best to prevent the same thing from happening again," Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss. "I don't think we need to win our next two games. Draws may be sufficient to progress. However, this does not mean that we will be going out to get draws in our next two games," Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino. Player to watch: Slovakia: Striker Robert Vittek scored his side's first ever goal at the World Cup in the 1-1 draw with New Zealand. Paraguay: Defender Antolin Alcaraz produced a solid display against Italy and scored his side's only goal against the title holders.
